


Here, in that room

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode AU: s05e02 Redux II, F/M, Fictober, Fluff, cancer ar, maggie scully ships it, mulder and scully love each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 22:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16273544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Mulder and Scully at the end of Redux II, a different take.





	Here, in that room

Mrs. Scully squeezes his shoulder as she walks out of the hospital room. There’s a huge smile on her face and dried tear streaks on her cheeks. Somehow he thinks he must look the same.

“We’re leaving now,” she says in a soft voice. She doesn’t say go in. Neither does she ask him to leave. He’s been waiting his turn. If he has to, he’ll wait longer. They have time now. So much more time. A smile breaks on his face, unasked. Mrs. Scully smiles back; she understands. Mulder doesn’t look at Bill, is unwilling to face the disdain, the outright disgust on the other man’s face. The other man is quiet, though, hating on him silently.

“Thank you,” Mulder says, all other words escaping him. He watches them leave. Visiting hours are almost over. Not that he cares. Once they’re out of his sight, he gets up. His knees are weak as he covers the small distance to Scully’s hospital room. The door is closed. All he has to do is open it, step in. He hasn’t seen Scully since she told him the news. They hardly had time to talk then. But now. He takes a deep, deep breath, feeling like a teenager.

The door opens with a soft squeak. Scully turns to him and her whole face lights up.

“Hi,” he says, feeling so shy, so uncertain.

“Hi,” she replies, her eyes inviting him over. He goes slowly, but the grin on his face growing.

“How are you feeling?” There’s a chair next to her bed and he glances at it. He should sit there. His hand smooths the hospital linen, but he doesn’t dare get that close.

“Tired,” she answers truthfully and he sees it in her eyes. He nods.

“Do you want me to-”

“No,” she says quickly and he thinks he sees the shadow of a blush on her pale face. “Please stay.”

“I can do that.”

“Sit down, Mulder. You’re making me nervous.” He eyes the chair again and sits in it.

“I thought you might…,” she begins, but stops herself.

“You thought what?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Scully, please.” He doesn’t want to waste another moment. This is a second chance. For them, for life. For whatever they are. Mulder knows what he feels; he knew it the minute he lost her. Cursed himself when she told him he’d lose her again to cancer. No more. Two close calls; way too close. He doesn’t want to go on like this. He isn’t sure they can.

“I thought you might sit… here.” The blush is definite now and Mulder is sporting one too; he feels the heat on his cheeks. The plastic squeaks as he gets up and sits on Scully’s hospital bed. They’ve done this a million times before. Too often.

“I wasn’t sure I’d… if you wanted me to be this…close.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” There’s no good answer for it. None she’ll accept anyway. So he keeps quiet, looks at his hands. If she’d never walked into his office, if she’d left right after that first case, if only she’d-

“Mulder, I can hear you thinking,” Scully interrupts his thoughts. “Stop blaming yourself. Please?”

“But-”

“Not today, Mulder. Can we just-” Scully sighs. He sees her smile fade and he doesn’t want that. She is right. She is so right and why should he question it, today of all days?

“I’m sorry. I really am. I want to do this right. I want so many things, Scully. The question is… what do you want?”

“Right now I just want to sleep.”

“I’ll leave.”

“You’re never listening, Mulder,” she grabs his hand over the sheets. It’s warm. Lately her hands have been so cold. Today they’re warm, full of life. “I don’t want you to leave. I’m too tired to pretend I don’t want you here. Can you do that? Just be here?” There are no words inside him. He nods, promises quietly by squeezing her hand.

“I can do that. I don’t want to leave, I want to…” his voice falters, breaking under the pressure of his emotions. “Scully, I-” but what expressions are there for the happiness he feels? For the relief? She’ll be there to live her life, to grow old. She’ll continue to prove him wrong. She will be by his side.

“I feel the same way,” she whispers and he doesn’t think she can know. Then he looks into her eyes. Her deep pools of blue seem to answer every question he ever had.

“Can I ask you for something else? Two things, really.”

“Anything, Scully.”

“Hold me tonight.” She motions to the space beside her; she’s so tiny, takes up so little space in this bed. Yet she somehow managed to take up all of his heart and mind. He kicks off his shoes, his jacket. It’s not the first time he’s sleeping in his clothes.

“Like this?” He’s never held Scully like this; her asking him, letting him. He wants to never let go again.

“Like this,” she answers. Scully is warm against him and everything else fades away. His eyes are burning with exhaustion. Tonight he’ll sleep knowing that Scully is healthy. As his eyes drift close, he remembers her words.

“What’s the other thing?” She doesn’t answer right away and he thinks she might have fallen asleep.

“A kiss goodnight,” she whispers into his chest, hiding her face.

“You need to look at me for a kiss.” She lifts her head and gives him a smile. Not shy, not questioning. She wants this.

“I am looking.”

And he kisses her for the first time.


End file.
